Sunday 6 October 2013

YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER IN YORK! MEGA!

A great day in the Lower Derwent Valley, York today. Lets start with the major highlight:

Yellow-browed Warbler. A great find by Duncan Bye at Bank Island, Wheldrake Ings at lunchtime today (6th October). I managed to get there 10 minutes or so after he found it and after about half an hour or so of searching managed to connect with it. Craig and Chris also managed to get across in time to see it but was not seen by anyone else as far as I know. It was seen at c.1230, c.1330 and c.1405. I stayed around till about 1700 as I wanted to get a picture of it but there was no sign of it after 1405.

The status of YBW in York is tricky/muddy...

There has been 1 accepted record in the YOC area: one on 4th October 2009 at Central Science Laboratory (Sand Hutton Laboratory) - a bird seen by two people.

Prior to 2009 there are three records not accepted by the York Ornithological Society: one at Askham Bog on 1st November 1996, one at Copmanthorpe (date unknown) and one at Askham Richard 5th-9th October 2004. As far as can be determined none of the above 3 records were ever submitted, though it is likely that the two dated records (at least) would be acceptable if descriptions were submitted...

Therefore, today's record equates to the second YOC area record (officially), but most likely the 4th or 5th record, and more importantly, the first record for the LDV - awesome!

Yellow-browed Warbler (from Malaysia in the spring, not todays bird!)

On to the other highlights of today:

Hobby - 1 over Bank Island
Red Kite - 1 over Wheldrake Ings
Marsh Harrier - 1 over Bank Island, 1 over Wheldrake Ings
Pink-footed Goose - 3 flocks: 155 NW and 95 SE (at the same time), then another 120 SE
Blackcap - 2 females at Bank Island
Chiffchaff - 1 North Duffield village, 4 Bank Island
Golden Plover - 1 west over North Duffield village
Grey Wagtail - 2 at Bank Island

There was a steady light passage of Meadow Pipit and Skylark south over North Duffield this morning.

Today certainly goes down as one of the most memorable days birding in the York Area!

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